5,964,923

Page 2
OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Baker et al., Nitrogen Separation from Natural Gas Using

Tanaka et al., Permeability and Permselectivity of Gases in

Fluorinated and Non-Fluorinated Polyimides, Polymer,
vol. 33, p. 585, 1992.
Coleman et al., The Transport Properties of Polyimide
Isomers Containing Hexafluoroisopropylidene in the
Diamine Residue, J. Memb. Sci., vol. 50, p. 1915, 1990.
Kim et al. Relationship Between Gas Separation Properties
and Chemical Structure in a Series of Aromatic Polyimides,
J. Memb. Sci., vol. 37, p. 45, 1988.
Stern et al., StructurePermeability Relationships in Sili
cone Polymers, J., Polymer Sci., vol. 25, p. 1263, 1987.
Koros et al., Sorption and Transport of Various Gases in
PolyCarbonate, J. Memb. Sci., vol. 2, p. 165, 1977.
Plate et al., Gas and Vapor Permeation and Sorption in Poly

Membranes, Presented to AIChE, Houston, TX, Feb. 1993.

(trimethylsilylpropyne), J. Memb. Sci., vol. 60, p. 13, 1991.

Toy

et

al.,

Gas

Transport

Through

Poly(1Trimethylsilyl1Propyne) Membranes in the

Presnece of Organic Vapors, Presented at NAMS, Breck
enridge, CO, May 1994.
Pinnau, Membrane Material Selection for the Separation of
Condensable Gases, Presented at GKSS Research Center,

Sep. 1995.

Pinnau et al., Poly(1Trimethylsilyl1Propyne)Super

glassy Polymer w/ Extraordinary Properties for Sep. of
Organic Vapors from Permanent Gases, Presented at
NAMS, Portland, OR, May 1995.

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 1 of 11

5,964,923

10
NSSSSSSSSSSSS

11

FIG. 1

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 2 of 11

5,964,923

21

23

24
NSN

22

25

FIG. 2

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 3 of 11

5,964,923

306
310

311

312
S

307

316

\lc
NNNNNNNNNN

| \-309
308

317

FIG. 3

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 4 of 11

FIG. 4

5,964,923

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 5 of 11

510

NSSSSSSSNNNNN

501

502

FIG. 5

5,964,923

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 6 of 11

5,964,923

10-3

10-4
Pressure-normalized

Methane

flux

(cm3(STP)/cm2scmHg) ????"?
10-5

Nitrogen

10-6
-30

-20

-10

10

Feed temperature (C)

FIG. 6

20

30

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 7 of 11

5,964,923

CH4/N2
selectivity

membrane

(-)

-60

-40

20

Temperature (*C)

FIG. 7

20

40

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 8 of 11

5,964,923

10-5

Propane

10-6
Pressure-normalized
flux

(cm3(STP)/cm2scmHg)

Nitrogen

10-7

30

-20

-10

10

Feed temperature (C)

FIG. 8

20

30

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 9 of 11

5,964,923

CH4/N2
selectivity
(-)

membrane

-60

-40

20

Temperature (*C)

FIG. 9

20

40

U.S. Patent

Oct. 12, 1999

Sheet 10 of 11

5,964,923

10-2

10-3 "?????? ??
Pressure-normalized

flux

Methane

10' ?
10-5

itrogen

10-6
-40

-30

-20

-10

10

Feed temperature (C)

FIG. 10

20

30